


Don't Take Him for Granted (A.K.A He's Our Ward - The Origin Story)

by Comixgal



Series: He's our Ward [7]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: BDSM, F/M, Kink Negotiation, M/M, Multi, Relationship Negotiation, Relationship(s), Unresolved Sexual Tension, everyone is poly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2018-11-06 22:46:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11045922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Comixgal/pseuds/Comixgal
Summary: How their beautiful, complicated, wonderful relationships started.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If asked how their team had found its equilibrium with him at the center, Ward would probably have started with the day Melinda May was practicing with a whip.

They’d been flying together for a while now. Ward knew their sleep schedules, their eating habits, and the best way to incapacitate them in the event of an alien takeover or mental breakdown.

It had taken the militarily-trained child of abuse less than two hours to map all the escape routes out of the Bus and the advantages and disadvantages of each. All-in-all, his days had fallen into a predictable pattern of training, reading, teaching, and more training. Even their missions had developed a soothing consistency: FitzSimmons and Skye would gather data, May and Ward would be strategy and muscle, Coulson oversaw everything.

It was no surprise that Grant was starting to feel antsy. Their planned stop in California had been cancelled, which left him without a much-needed respite from the strain of being always “on.” The constant worry about his team’s safety was taking a toll. He’d been running missions for months now, even before becoming Level 8 and he desperately needed a few vacation days. There were only a few people he trusted to keep his most shameful secret; he’d been looking forward to the California stop.

Ward made his way down to the practice area, planning to relieve some of his energy through exercise. The familiar sound of a whip cracking made his breath catch. He found Agent May swinging the leather with expert skill. The way the end hit the targets she’d set up took his breath away. Her precision was as sexy as it was terrifying.

Grant’s heart beat faster in his chest as he remembered the last time he’d begged to be whipped. He could feel, just for a moment, the agonizing stripe of pain the nylon lash laid against his back. He didn’t realize a low moan was echoing down the hall. He leaned briefly against the coolness of the wall before adjusting himself and walking down to the practice area.

*** 

Jemma stepped out of her lab, looking up and down the hall to pinpoint the pained sound. She saw only the tip of Ward’s foot and heard only the sound of the whip against padded targets. Shaking her head, she returned to the experiment she was running.

***

Ward had not successfully tired himself out, apparently. He was tapping his fingers against the table in an obnoxiously repetitive pattern.

“Stop that.” Skye snapped, not looking up from her computer.

The sound ceased immediately. Skye’s appreciative smile faltered when she saw the way Ward’s shoulders hunched in. “Ward, you okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He said instantly. He flinched then gave her a cheeky grin. “Ma’am, yes, ma’am.” He flipped her a sassy salute and left the room.

Skye frowned at his tense back and at the uncharacteristic response he’d given… a response not well hidden by his attempt at humorous insolence. With a sigh, she closed her laptop and considered Ward’s behavior over the last few weeks.

***

The hacker walked into the lab, interrupting the very loud conversation FitzSimmons were having about the possibility of creating organo-nanobots, whatever those were. “Hey. Have either of you noticed that Ward’s acting kinda weird?”

Fitz snorted. “Weird how? Did he suddenly stop wanting to solve every problem by punching something?”

Both women rolled their eyes.

Skye threw her hands up. “Seriously, dude? Just pull ‘em out and measure because this will-they-won’t-they thing you two have going on is driving the rest of us bonkers.”

Simmons hid her giggle behind an arm while nodding her agreement. When Fitz looked to her for support she immediately said, “What? That’s crazy. We certainly don’t know what you’re talking about.” She made it most of the way through the assertion before laughing.

“Ward isn’t attracted to me.” Fitz said rather sullenly.

“I notice you aren’t denying your attraction.” Skye teased.

He’d moved away from Jemma’s side to pick up a project. “It doesn’t matter. Mister Perfect-American-Soldier-Man isn’t attracted to men.”

“Know that for a fact, do you?” The hacker asked.

“Yes. I do.”

Skye disagreed. “Okay. You can remind me of that the next time he’s making adoring mooney eyes at Coulson.”

Fitz turned his back to her with a note of finality.

“Weird how?” Jemma asked, getting them back on track.

“Honestly? And I guess I have no reason to think you’d know what I’m talking about, but, ‘weird’ like trained-submissive weird.”

They both jumped at the sound of Fitz slamming down his tools and storming out of the room.

“What the hell was that?” Skye demanded.

Jemma shrugged. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say.”

The hacker frowned. “Oh great. More secrets.”

***

_Two Hours Later ___

__“Hey.”_ _

__Fitz looked up to see Skye’s shyly smiling face peeking around his bunk door. “Hey.”_ _

__“I hooked up the screen to a console emulator.” She ignored his frown. “Let’s play Strip Mario Kart.”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__“You, me, the giant screen, each win means the other person loses an article of clothing.”_ _

__Fitz groaned. “Leave me alone, Skye! I just want to rest.”_ _

__She dropped herself onto the bed, making him groan again. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”_ _

__“Don’t wanna.” He pushed her off the mattress._ _

__“Leonardo Fitzerman,” she liked to annoy him by making up names, “You know you want to play strip Mario Kart with me. It’ll be fun.”_ _

__Fitz stared up at her. “You’re being serious?”_ _

__“Of course, dude! You’re at least as attracted to me as you are to Ward. What with offering to show me your equipment and tools.” She grinned. “I’m up for some fun times. And you clearly need it.”_ _

__And so they played Strip Mario Kart followed by Strip Mortal Kombat. Skye laughed her way into complete nudity then insisted on cuddling up close to Fitz for warmth. She laughed even louder when Melinda May didn’t even bat an eye._ _

__“Pretty sure that May and AC are enjoying quality time, if you know what I mean.” She whispered._ _

__“Everyone knows that.” Jemma’s voice came dismissively from somewhere behind them._ _

__“Everyone most certainly _does not_ know that!” Fitz’s voice rose in disbelief. “I didn’t know that. How do you know that?”_ _

__Simmons flicked her hand towards the bunks. “Did none of you read the manual? There are sensors all over the plane so that we get alarms if something happens. I’m the one who reads the data. I can tell when heat spikes and raised heart rates are something other than a workout.”_ _

__Fitz had his fingers in his ears. “Don’t want to know this. Don’t want to know this.”_ _

__Skye took the opportunity to straddle him. “Come on, Doctor Fitz, let’s go have some fun.” When he didn’t immediately respond she turned to Jemma. “How about you then? Want to go play doctor?”_ _

__Simmons looked appraisingly over Skye’s body. “Hardly the most original proposition I’ve ever received, but certainly one of the more welcome.” She held a hand out for Skye while Fitz spluttered and wrapped his arms around the naked woman._ _

__“She propositioned me first!” He insisted._ _

__“You snooze, you lose.” Jemma said loftily while beaming at the hacker._ _

__“Doctors, doctors, I’m sure we can find somewhere for the three of us to have a little fun.” Skye soothed._ _

__Jemma’s yawn wasn’t faked. “Oh dear. Perhaps next time?”_ _

__“Definitely.” Skye promised, eyes sweeping over the woman’s retreating ass. “Come on.” She dragged Fitz to her bunk. “Lie down.”_ _

__Fitz grumbled but did as he was told._ _

__“You have to relax.” Skye started giving him a massage. “Isn’t this nice?”_ _

__“Mmmmmmmm.” Fitz replied, making Skye smile._ _

__She continued her massage until the engineer was fast asleep. With a pleased shrug, she nestled herself into the small area he’d left vacant._ _

__***_ _

__Silky strands of hair were tickling his nose. It didn’t smell like Jemma and Fitz was momentarily disoriented. When he opened his eyes, he found Skye staring down at him._ _

__“Hey buddy.”_ _

__“Hey yourself.” He brushed her hair out of the way._ _

__“You wanna tell me why you were so upset yesterday?” She went back to tickling his chest with a bunch of hair._ _

__“Stop that.”_ _

__“Have I ever told you how adorable I find your accent?”_ _

__“Have I ever told you how annoying I find yours?” He shot back, embarrassed by the flush of joy he’d experienced at her revelation._ _

__“That’s too bad. I could listen to you talk for days. I’ll bet you really know how to use that voice to get your way.” She prodded._ _

__Leo stared for a moment then collapsed onto the pillow. “Damn it, Jemma!”_ _

__“She didn’t say anything. Want to tell me about it?”_ _

__Thinking was a bit difficult with a naked woman draped over him, playing with his chest. “Could you not do that while we’re talking?”_ _

__“Could you not do that while we’re talking?” Skye tried to mimic the scottish accent with little success. She continued her teasing. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”_ _

__“You’ve obviously already figured it out.”_ _

__“Maybe I want you to spell it out for me.” She put her head down on his shoulder and cuddled close, prepared to just wait._ _

__He sighed but immediately started rubbing her back and running a hand through her hair. “I spent a lot of time at a club in Scotland before going to the Academy. I know what I like and I like to be in control.” He expected Skye to respond. When she didn’t, he said, “I make machines in my spare time. I know how to use whips, canes, floggers. Electricity is my specialty.”_ _

__“Roleplay and humiliation.” Skye offered. “I met Miles-”_ _

__“Secret hacker boyfriend.”_ _

__“Yes- Miles- at a stoplight party for D/S singles. I’d gotten into it a couples years earlier. I don’t mind pain-play but it’s not really my thing.”_ _

__Fitz wasn’t surprised; Skye didn’t seem the type of person who would enjoy inflicting pain._ _

__“So what are you going to do about Ward?” She asked._ _

__“Nothing. Even if he were attracted to me, the relationship would be doomed to failure.”_ _

__That sounded completely defeatist. “What makes you say that?”_ _

__Fitz raised his eyebrows at her. “Take your pick: He’ll want to top, he’ll want to be monogamous, he’ll hate that I’m a dom.”_ _

__“You aren’t giving him enough credit!” Skye argued. “So what if you don’t want a long-term monogamous relationship, you can at least just fuck him.”_ _

__“I would never fuck Ward!” Fitz said far too loudly as Skye shushed him. At a more reasonable volume he said, “I would never fuck Ward or anyone else. Machines fuck. Animals fuck. I have sex. Granted, sometimes it is rough, hard, sex, but it isn’t fucking.”_ _

__Skye tried not to squeal at the sheer quaintness of this statement._ _

__“And you want to ‘have sex’ with Ward?”_ _

__Fitz nodded against the top of her head. “More than that. I want to take care of him. I want to make him my boy and make sure he knows how much I care about him. I don’t want to just have sex with him,” he winced at what he was about to say next._ _

__“You want to make love to him?” Skye supplied, not sounding nearly as amused by the cliché as he’d imagined._ _

__“Yeah. That’s what I want.” Fitz agreed, maneuvering Skye onto her back so that he could stare down at her body._ _

__That was the first time that Fitz learned just how much Skye enjoyed sex._ _

__***_ _

___I would never fuck Ward. I would never fuck Ward. I would never fuck Ward._

He kept hearing the phrase like an echo behind his thoughts. The words had been said with such revulsion, such anger at the very concept that Ward felt sick.

Pull yourself together! Ward shouted at himself.

So Fitz wasn’t attracted to him. It didn’t matter. There was no reason to feel like he’d been stabbed in the gut.

You don’t need him or the others, Ward insisted. You’re better off when you work solo. This is a failed experiment in teamwork. Now you know. You can ask to be reassigned.

He curled up in his bunk and wished desperately he could be anywhere else.


	2. Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude.

As so often happened, everyone's emotions were put on hold while they dealt with a life-or-death situation. They were sitting in the bar of a local hotel, drinking and relaxing after a trying few days.

“Let’s go.” Melinda May said to Ward, motioning with her head towards the lobby.

Ward’s eyes went wide, “Uh-”

“Oooh, are you going to go ‘debrief’?” Skye asked with a smirk. “I’ll join in on your ‘debrief’ if you’ll let me.” She turned towards the others, “What about you? Want to ‘debrief’?”

Jemma laughed as she stood up to get another drink. “I would ‘debrief’ with you.”

Grant turned bright red. “So we’re not even pretending anymore?” He asked May.

The woman rolled her eyes, “If we were keeping assignations secret, I’d have a lot of words for you about your trainee’s ability to keep quiet.”

Skye laughed, “Sex makes me happy. Fitz makes me feel great.” She winked at the scientist. “Anyway, if you’re not having fun or getting what you want out of sex, then what’s the point?” She looked over at Ward, “We could have fun together, if you wanted.”

He blushed again. “Uh-”

“Let’s go.” May ordered again, sparing him from needing to respond.

Skye turned her gaze towards Coulson, “How about you, AC?” She asked it seriously, putting a hand over his.

He looked over at her with a self-deprecating smile, “That’s a kind offer, but-”

“It’s not an offer.” Skye said, “It’s a request. I _want_ to spend the evening with you. You’re super sexy and attractive and I know we could have fun.”

Jemma returned with her drink. “So about that rain check?” She tried and failed spectacularly at winking seductively.

Both Fitz and Skye laughed while Coulson looked on in confused good-humour.

“Alright!” Skye stood up. “But don’t think your sexy ass is off the hook.” She said pointedly at Phil. “We should absolutely ‘debrief’ later.”

Fitz and Coulson watched the two women leave.

“She’s right, you know.” Fitz said. “You are super sexy and attractive.” He leaned closer. “We could ‘debrief’ together.”

“Enough with the euphemisms.” Phil sighed into his drink. “Besides, you forget that I’ve seen your file and I know what you like. I’m not in the mood to bottom. In fact, I’m rarely in the mood to be on the receiving end.”

Fitz frowned, “Don’t be so dull. Sex doesn’t have to be penetrative. There are plenty of things we can do together that don’t require either of us to feel submissive.”

“I know that. I just wasn’t sure that you did.”

Leo finished his drink, “I’m going to attribute that insulting bit of snark to your current discomfort and not an attempt to cast aspersions on my understanding of carnal relations.”

Phil rubbed at his forehead, “Thank you.”

Fitz grinned. “Come on. I’ll give you a massage. Though you’d have gotten a better one if you had taken Skye up on her offer.”

“She does have fantastic hands.” Phil admitted. He stood, leading the way to his room.


	3. Inverse Correlation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally all admit what they want.

As Skye grew even less circumspect in her desire for intimacy with the team, Ward seemed to pull further into himself. He spent all of his free time hiding in the weapons cabinet or in his bunk.

“C’mon, Ward.” Skye said. “You can’t keep handing me over to May for training.”

Ward looked up from the gun he was cleaning. “Fine. Give me ten minutes.” He watched her go and thought about Skye’s propositioning of him three days prior. He’d given her a lecture about reporting lines, inappropriate behaviour, and conflict of interest.

Skye had laughed in his face and pointed out that it was no different from his relationship with May. He’d shut down the conversation rather than admit that he was jealous of her relationship with Fitz. He didn’t admit, even to himself, that he was afraid of his own desperate need to give up control to the confident hacker… and the nerdy Scottish scientist.

Sighing, Ward locked up the closet and headed down to the training area.

“No holds barred.” Ward said as he stretched. “I want to see what Melinda has taught you.”

“Don’t you worry.” Skye promised. She had already braided her hair tightly back.

Ward launched himself at her and she skillfully flipped him over her hip. She was careful about keeping him from getting in too close. She knew that his superior height, weight, and strength were a danger to her. They were both sweating heavily after twenty minutes of sparring. When they broke apart to take a water break, Skye was grinning like a maniac.

“I’ve missed you.” She said. 

Ward grunted and continued to wipe himself down. “One more minute then back on the mat.”

Skye frowned at him then shrugged. She’d show him.

The hacker was making Ward work for his win. She stayed on the offensive and when he slipped in the sweat on the floor, she was on top of him in seconds. “Don’t move.” She warned, knees pinning his arms. When he bucked, then kicked, she stayed seated. He tried again. “I said, don’t move.”

Ward grimaced. “I’m not just going to give up.”

Skye shrugged. “Have it your way.” She grabbed his nipples and twisted. Hard. She did not expect the desperate moan or the way his hips rutted up against her.

Ward watched Skye’s eyes go wide in sudden understanding. He unceremoniously threw her off his chest and ran away as she tried to catch her breath.

The hacker slowly lifted herself off the ground and nodded to herself. She’d been right about Ward’s masochistic tendencies. Now to see if she was right about his submissive ones.

The man’s door was closed. She knocked demandingly. “Ward. Open this door.” She didn’t shout. Nor did she use her full-on domme voice but she did speak as if she expected obedience.

“Go away, Skye. You need to go work on your left-leg high kicks.”

“We are absolutely talking about this!” She shouted through the door. “You can’t react that way and then hide.”

The door slid open and Ward looked down at the sweaty young woman. “I can and I will. You do not get to have any say, control, or interaction with me around my sub-- around my sexuality unless I want it. So back off. Right now.”

Skye sighed. “Fine. You’re right, of course. But we’d be into it. We’d all be into it.”

Ward sneered. “I know that’s not true. Now go away please.”

She wasn’t going to start off by ignoring his requests so she stalked off. Straight into Coulson’s office.

Fitz and Coulson were cuddling on the couch. They’d been getting more and more openly physical, which honestly made Skye want to squeal.

“So Ward’s a masochist with submissive tendencies.” She thought about it, “Or a submissive with masochistic tendencies. Either way, you get my drift.”

Fitz was staring at her in annoyance. Coulson frowned and said, “Surely that’s private information that he doesn’t want shared with the entire Bus.”

“He thinks we’re going to be judgemental and not into it.” Skye said with a challenge in her voice.

“Well that’s not true.” Fitz said. “We’d all be into it.”

Phil sighed and stood up. “I’ll go talk to him.”

***

The entirety of the team had gathered behind Phil, just out of sight of the door. Coulson shook his head and knocked. “Grant? It’s me. Can we talk?”

“Is that an order?” Ward’s voice filtered through the door.

“Not a S.H.I.E.L.D. order, no.” Phil admitted.

The door whooshed open. “Skye needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.” Ward said. “I don’t want to talk about this. It’s fine. I’ve been performing exceptionally on our missions. Unless you have any concerns about my work, I’d like to be left alone.”

Coulson nodded. “Alright. I’m not going to push you. I will say that we’ve all been jealous of Melinda and if you wanted to spend time with us we would like that.”

Ward frowned.

“Think about it. We’ll be in the main area if you’d like to discuss this.”

***

All of them turned when they heard Ward’s door open and his footsteps coming down the hall.

“I’m not talking about this with him here.” The tall man pointed at Fitz.

“What?!” Fitz asked. “What the hell have I done?”

Ward glared. “ _I would never fuck Ward!_ Ring a bell?”

It was Skye who reacted. “Oh shit. Ward--” She pulled him down onto a chair. “You missed the second part of that.” She climbed into his lap, legs straddling his. She kissed his cheeks. “Fitz believes that machines and animals fuck and that humans have sex. He’s super, duper into you.” She reached out to pull Fitz down next to them then bent to whisper into Ward’s ear, “He’s moaned your name in his sleep.”

Skye got up to give Fitz a chance to talk. Ward was staring over at the curly-haired scientist with a look of confusion.

“She’s right. I absolutely want to-” he blushed, “I absolutely want to spend time with you.” He straightened, “I’m very good with some of the things I think you might like. And if you let me, I could take care of you.”

Ward shivered a bit at the way Fitz seemed to wrap control around himself. This was a man who was not ashamed of his desires. Ward wished he felt the same way.

“Us too, Ward.” Jemma approached with Skye and Phil behind her. “We all want to spend time with you, however you want it.”

He stared over her shoulder at Coulson. “I can’t. Not-” he sighed, “not the way I want to.”

The women frowned but Phil nodded understandingly. “That’s alright. I would never expect you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. If you change your mind, I’ll be in my office.” He turned.

“Wait!” Ward grabbed Phil’s hand. “You wouldn’t think less of me?” He asked.

Coulson looked amazed, “Think less of you? Of course not! I’m not brave enough or strong enough to submit to anyone, much less more than one person. I’m in absolute awe of anyone with that sort of courage.”

It was Ward’s turn to look stunned. He pulled Phil closer, “I’ve wanted this for a while.” He kissed the older man. When Phil’s hands came up to pull him closer, Ward moaned desperately into the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Desperately trying to post at least one story a week for the next 4 weeks. We'll see.


End file.
